What will the Moravian campus look like, decades down the road? Students and faculty members will sit together on benches in landscaped areas between buildings; many will opt to walk or bike the Monacacy Creek greenway between Main and Hurd campuses; clubs and organizations will meet in the new HUB 2; and alumni will watch games from a brick terrace near a raised Betty Prince Field. These are just a few of the many possible future uses for the campus suggested in the preliminary Land Use and Campus Master Plan presented by Ayers Saint Gross, a Baltimore architectural and planning firm.

"It's important to remember that this plan creates a framework to facilitate projects. It is not a project development plan," stressed Dennis Domchek, vice president for finance and administration, at the September 11 presentation in Prosser Auditorium. "The master plan ensures the best use of our resources by giving us guidelines for making decisions over the next thirty to fifty years."

Increasing the cohesiveness of the three campuses—Main, Hurd, and Steel Field—is a fundamental goal. Focusing development to the south and east of the Main Street campus and enhancing pathways will make the overall campus more walkable and easier to maintain, said Charles Saint Gross. But creating a more cohesive, pedestrian-friendly campus will require expanding partnerships with the City of Bethlehem and the Moravian Church.

Select buildings still would be located north of Elizabeth Avenue. A pedestrian bridge spanning Elizabeth Avenue would improve safety and serve as a gateway to the north end of campus. Parking would be moved to the campus perimeter, improving pedestrian safety and allowing more space for landscapes and buildings. Paving material could be permeable to capture storm water and prevent run-off. Parking changes would be phased in, with new lots constructed before existing ones are removed.

"Projects such as Collier Hall of Science still must be completed in the near term," noted Vice President Domchek. "But this plan changes our perspective. In the past, we looked at development only from a building to building basis. Projects now will include things like pedestrian pathways, which are more transformational. The plan shows we have plenty of capacity to grow. But it is flexible—not everything must be built."

After a comment period, the plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees. View the plan here.